A Rival Or A Friend
by Shadows-In-The-Flames03
Summary: Lyra has come a long way in such a short time. She has collected all the kanto badges and defeated the league. Returning to New Bark Town, she hopes for a vacation. Little does she know, Ethan and Silver are going to make things that much harder for her.
1. Chapter 1

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 1

Things had been going well for Lyra. She had recently defeated the Jothto League, collected all the Kanto badges and was currently kicking back in New Bark Town for a while. On her journey, she'd also managed to catch and tame the fabled Lugia and all 3 legendary dogs although she was rather partial to Suicune. She sat outside her house, her back against the wall, staring up at the cloudless sky. Her starter pokemon, now a fully grown Meganium, lay content at her feet. She sighed slightly, taking off her hat and letting her chestnut brown hair fall loose about her shoulders. It wasn't long, but it felt nice to have it blowing freely. Lately, she'd ditched the pink stuff for something more practical. She wore a pair of black knee-length shorts and a purple tank top with a black pair of fingerless gloves. It felt more comfortable this way. She hadn't seen her childhood friend Ethan around lately. She had assumed he had gone travelling too. Her rival, Silver, was nowhere to be found either but that wasn't exactly a surprise. He hadn't given her his pokegear number, and he hadn't returned to New Bark Town since he first 'acquired' his starter, Cyndaquil. Well, it was a Typhlosion now. Sighing heavily, she took a swig of water from a bottle she held in her left hand.

"Seeing a friendly face would be nice, huh Meg?" She asked her starter pokemon.

Meganium gave a sleepy cry in reply, nuzzling it's owners leg affectionately.

Lyra patted the top of it's head, smiling softly. The two weren't just pokemon and trainer. They were best friends. Lyra remembered teaching Silver about learning to love your pokemon, she hadn't seen much of him after that. She only hoped he'd taken her advice to heart. Her mind started to wander when her pokegear rang. She immediately flicked it open.

"Hello?"

"H-Hello?" It was Ethan's voice. "Lyra! Hey! So I heard you're a big champ now!"

"Heh, I guess you could say that. Where are you?"

"I'm headin' back to New Bark right now! You?"

"Already there,"

"S-Seriously? Aw man! I gotta get back there and see you! I'm just getting to Cherrygrove. I'll be there soon!"

"H-Hey, Ethan-!"

The line went dead. He'd already hung up.

Lyra chuckled at his eagerness. It was sort of endearing. Clipping the pokegear back onto her belt again, she brushed a lock of hair out of her face and sighed as she shut her eyes. The peace of New Bark Town is just what she needed.

"Looks like the Great Champion is getting lazy already " A voice piped up smugly.

She nearly jumped out of her skin as she spun around to find the source of the voice. There he was, in all of his jackass-ey glory. Silver.

"S-Silver? What are you doing here?" Lyra asked, bewildered.

He smirked, his eyes flashing with amusement at her surprise.

"Figured you'd be here, and I was right," Was all he said.

"Why? Did you wanna find me or something?"

"I wanna fight you again, Lyra! I will WIN this time,"

Lyra groaned.

"Silver, you said that the last TEN TIMES!

"I really will win this time!"

"You said that too!"

"Shut up!"

"What are you, Silver? Eight?"

"Gah! Forget it!"

"Forget WHAT?"

"I WAS gonna ask if you wanted to go out to Goldenrod for dinner after our battle but if this is what you've become now that you're 'famous', then screw it! And screw you!"

Lyra was left gob smacked as Silver glared at her viciously. However, she could see the hurt he was trying to hide.

"Silver I I"

"Oh, SHUT UP!" He snapped. "A bit late for you to try and understand now so don't bother!"

He turned on his heel and walked off into the fields outside of the town, leaving Lyra to contemplate what would've happened if she'd have just said yes.

Lyra was confused. Silver was going to ask her out? Why? He'd acted like she was his worst enemy. Although, he had become somewhat softer towards his pokemon lately, it showed by how healthy they looked and how much they seemed to love him. Lyra felt instantly guilty. If wouldn't of killed her to humour him. She was so wrapped up in this thought that she didn't see Ethan trotting over to her, looking severely red and out of breath. Little did she know, he'd ran all the way back to New Bark Town from Cherrygrove in the hope of seeing her.

"H-Hey Lyra!" He panted, trying his best to smile.

She looked at him, snapping herself out of her daydream.

"Oh, hey Ethan," She replied as she smiled back. "You look tired,"

"Nah Just Went for a run," He shook his head.

Lyra giggled. His whole 'macho' act didn't fool anyone.

"Come inside. I'll get you a glass of water," She smiled as she stood up straight which also caused Meganium to stand also.

"A-Are you sure? I mean, won't your mother mind?"

"She's going shopping in a minute anyway. No worries,"

Without another word, Lyra opened the door and let Ethan in before following suit with Meganium at her heels. Her mother approached Ethan with a gleaming smile.

"My, my! This is a lovely surprise! It's been years since you've been over here, Ethan!" She giggled.

Lyra walked past her mother after exchanging a brief hug before getting a glass from the cupboard for Ethan and filling it with water.

"I need to go shopping for a bit but I'll be back soon! Ciao!" Her mother smiled before walking out and shutting the door behind her.

"Your mother hasn't changed a bit," Ethan grinned.

"Nope, she'll still be that way when she's 80, mark my words," Lyra chuckled. "Well, don't just stand there. Have a seat!"

Ethan nodded and sat down at the table in the middle of the room as Lyra placed the glass of water in front of him which he gulped down. She sat down beside him as Meganium padded up the stairs.

"Where's Meganium going?" Ethan asked Lyra in confusion.

"My room. Probably to jump up on my bed and go back to sleep,"

They both shared a laugh before getting into a conversation about how things had been. It was nice for them to catch up. Every now and again, Ethan would try to catch her eye, but he was never sure if it worked. They talked right through the day until the sun was dipping into the mountains, and there was still no sign of Lyra's mother.

"I better go find her," Lyra said as she stood up, heading for the door.

"W-Wait!" Ethan replied, grabbing her shoulder. "Let me go with you If you got hurt "

Lyra looked at him in shock before smiling gently in reply.

"Thank you, Ethan Ok, we'll go together. Meganium!"

There was a bumping noise as Meganium jumped off Lyra's bed and literally jumped down the stairs.

"Let's go," Lyra nodded as they all left the house, heading off to Cherrygrove in an attempt to find her mother.

However, unbeknownst to Lyra, Ethan would try and catch her hand in his every now and again but every time his fingers got close to touching hers, he froze. He wasn't quite ready to tell her how he felt just yet

END OF CHAPTER 1


	2. Chapter 2

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 2

Ethan and Lyra had just left New Bark Town and were now heading to Cherrygrove City to try and find Lyra's mother who had gone shopping there earlier and not returned. The sun had now pretty much set and the two teens were trying to navigate themselves through the long grass. Marill and Meganium followed behind their respective trainers.

"Hey… Lyra?"

"Hm?"

"Am I weak?"

"Huh? No, of course you're not! Just because you don't battle a lot it doesn't mean you're a bad trainer or that you're weak,"

"I guess…But you've come so far and I'm still a novice!"

"To me, you're the person that gave me the push to start my journey. You taught me how to catch pokemon, you encouraged me when I was about to back down. You were the rock I needed to stop myself from falling at every hurdle. You might not be the best trainer out there, but when it comes to being a good person you're the strongest person I know," Lyra told him with a smile.

Ethan gulped and blushed before looking at his feet.

"I-I didn't know that I helped you that much…" He replied quietly.

"Well, you know now. So don't think you're weak ever again, ok?"

"Y-Yeah…I won't do it again,"

Up ahead, they could see the lights coming from the houses of Cherrygrove City.

"Ah, we're nearly there!" Lyra said as she sighed with relief.

Ethan nodded but his mind was in overdrive. He needed to do something or he'd never have the courage! Slowly and gradually, he reached his hand over to Lyra's and grasped it firmly.

"I'm s-sure she's fine, y'know…" He told her.

She nodded slowly, not realising that his gesture was one of love, not one of reassurance. She squeezed his hand gently and smiled brightly.

"Yeah, I know. Lets go find her!"

She started to run, pulling Ethan with her. However, things weren't going to be that easy.

When they reached Cherrygrove, there were Team Rocket grunts everywhere. They blocked the entrances to the Pokemon Centre and the Pokemart. They barred the doors to peoples houses so they couldn't get out. The two trainers looked around in horror at the sight and Lyra nearly screamed when she saw her mother bound and gagged at the feet of a particularly vicious looking member. He regarded her with such venom, such hatred that she could practically feel it radiating off of him. He didn't look any different from the other members when it came to uniform but his intent was much more evil than the rest. It was easy to see that.

"We were wondering how long it would take the fabled trainer to get here…And look, she's brought a lackey with her," He sneered, causing Ethan to growl meekly.

"What do you want?" Lyra snarled viciously.

"Ah, straight to the point. I like that," The rocket thug grinned. "What we want, in exchange for her safety, is all 3 of the legendary dogs AND Lugia,"

"You've GOT to be joking me!" Lyra cried.

The thug, seeing her hesitance, smirked and crouched down by her mother, yanking her up to her knees by her hair.

"Don't tell me you like seeing her in this much pain…" He hissed.

"I…...I…..." Lyra stammered.

That was it. Ethan had had enough. Stepping forward, he glared at the thug angrily.

"I'll fight you for it!" He declared.

"Well well, the lackey has a voice! I could use a bit of fun, lets go," The Rocket thug replied.

Marill skipped forward and let out a brave cry as the thug released a Houndour.

"Heh, a fire type. This'll be easy! Marill, bubblebeam!" Ethan called.

"Houndour, take down!"

The Houndour growled and slammed itself into Marill, knocking it unconscious instantly.

"Marill, no!" Ethan gasped as he kneeled beside his companion.

"And again, Houndour!"

"Huh?"

Before either Ethan or Lyra could register what was happening, the Houndour slammed itself into Ethan too, knocking him back against a fence.

"Ethan!"

Lyra was about to run to his aid when the Houndour blocked her way, snarling viciously with its hackles raised.

"Oh no you don't, girly. We're not done here yet. Will you take his place and fight me?" The thug smirked.

"…Yeah, I will."

"Haha, let's see if you live up to your name then!"

"Hmph…Meganium, body slam!"

This time, Meganium got the first hit in, absolutely flattening the Houndour into unconsciousness.

"Gah! Don't get too cocky, I'm not done yet!" The thug shouted as he threw a pokeball into the air, releasing an Arbok.

"Meganium, body slam again!"

"Arbok, dodge it!"

"Again, Meganium!"

"Arbok, poison fang!"

Meganium couldn't move away fast enough. The Arbok trapped it in its coils and sank its fangs into the helpless Meganiums neck. It let out a squeal of pain as the poison sunk in, causing it to faint.

"Meganium, no!" Lyra screamed, running over and pumelling the Arbok with her fists. "LET GO! GET AWAY!"

The Arbok hissed then gradually retreated, leaving Lyra to crouch over Meganium's body, holding its head in her lap and stroking the pokemons long neck.

"Heh, I'm not done yet…" The thug whispered to himself as he silently released a Haunter. "Shadow ball…"

Lyra looked up at the Haunter as it conjured up a dark ball between its hands. Throwing herself over Meganium, she shut her eyes and waited for the pain. Nothing. She didn't feel anything. She looked up and gasped. Silver stood in front of her, his back towards her. He had taken the hit for her.

"Silver!" Lyra gasped.

Silver could only manage a grunt of pain as he fell to his knees, gasping for air. Lyra gently set Meganium's head down and turned Silver around slowly to face her. His face was contorted in pain as he clutched his stomach. She sniffed slightly and wiped her eyes.

"…Don't cry," Silver muttered. "You have no reason to cry, you're not hurt…"

"No, but you are," Lyra sobbed. "And Meganium is. And Ethan is,"

Silver sighed and used his free arm to pull her to him, trying his best to hug her.

"Typhlosion…Fire blast…" He muttered.

Lyra heard the Typhlosion's cry and soon felt an overwhelming heat.

"W-Wait! My mom!" She gasped.

"Relax. Typhlosion knows," Silver whispered in reply. "Do you have a pokemon on you that could get her outta there?"

"I…I have Rapidash?"

"That'll work. It'll be able to get through the fire,"

Lyra shakily released Rapidash, who quickly grasped the situation and leaped through the flames, rearing up at the thug who growled and quickly started to flee. Lyra's mother managed to sit herself up to Typlosion could gnaw through the ropes that bound her arms and legs. Soon, she managed to jump onto Rapidash's back and hold on as it bolted through the flames again. She saw Lyra being held by a red-headed stranger and looked at him cautiously.

"She's fine…" Silver murmured. "Rapidash will take you home. I'll bring Lyra back soon,"

She nodded as the Rapidash set off at a trot.

Silver, as injured as he was, managed to stand and help Lyra to her feet, still refusing to let her go.

"B-But Ethan…"

"Shhh, I'll take care of things here…"

Strangely comforted by his words, Lyra let him steer her towards the direction she came from and guide her home.

END OF CHAPTER 2


	3. Chapter 3

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 3

The incident at Cherrygrove was all over the news the next day, much to Lyra's despair. Nobody saw what happened properly, but they definitely knew that the 'Red-Haired Stranger' saved the day. Silver was currently staying at Lyra's house since she refused to let him leave when he was injured. Ethan was in his respective home now too, recovering with Marill. In any case, everyone was trying to recuperate. Lyra sat at her computer, surfing through the fan mail she'd been getting lately. She didn't have the heart to reply to half of them, since they were all the same: 'are you ok?' 'you're not hurt are you!' 'Is Meganium ok?'.

"Not a word about Silver or Ethan…" She muttered as she turned off the computer with a sigh.

She heard a knock at the door which grabbed her attention.

"Honey, I'm making lunch if you wanna come down!" Her mother called from the other side of the door.

"No thanks, mom… I'm not hungry," Lyra replied as she tried to sound mildly cheery.

"Ok, hun, but I'll leave some just in case you want some later," Her mother replied.

"Sure thing,"

She heard her mother retreat back down the stairs again. She sighed. Silver was recovering well as far as she knew but she felt bad for completely breaking down on him during the battle. She wondered if he thought any less of her. Or if Ethan did for that matter. She began to dwell on the thought as she heard another knock on the door.

"I'm not hungry, Mom," She murmured.

"Mom? Is that my new nickname now?" She heard Silvers voice say.

She blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh haha, very funny. Come in,"

Silver opened the door and walked in, smirking in amusement.

"How you holdin' up?" He asked as he shut the door behind him.

"…What the hell? If anything I should be asking YOU that," Lyra snorted.

"Bah, details, details," Silver joked as he perched himself on the edge of her bed.

"…Hey, Silver?"

"Hm?"

"Sorry for being a wuss earlier…I didn't mean to-"

"Lemme stop you there. You weren't being a wuss. Your mother was being held hostage, your friend had been knocked out and you were scared," Silver replied sharply.

"I guess…Thank you for saving me…"

"You might be a rival, but nobody deserves that, Lyra,"

"And I'm sorry…For denying your challenge,"

"That's old news, don't worry about it…"

Lyra got up and sat next to him, looking at him with a frown.

"Silver, are you sure?"

"Of course, so stop pestering me about it,"

She nodded slightly.

"Besides…." Silver added. "I…Have a hard time staying mad at you…"

"Really? Why?"

Silver sighed and shook his head, winding his arm around her waist.

"Surely you'd have figured it out by now…"

"Figured WHAT out?" Replied the clueless girl, raising an eyebrow.

He snorted slightly in amusement, his free hand now resting under her chin.

"That I'm in love with every stupid, carefree, insanely strong part of you…"

Before she even had a chance to reply, he kissed her full force on the mouth.

The kiss was fiery and full of passion. The hand that had been under her chin now smoothed some hair off her neck while his other arm pulled her closer. Lyra was in shock. She had no idea her first kiss was going to be with her rival. Well, he was kinda hot. Trying not to think about it too much, she eventually managed to kiss him back which seemed to spur him on. Tilting his head to the side slightly, he kissed her deeper. Both of their eyes were closed as they simply got lost in the moment. Silver would never tell her but this was his first kiss also. She thought he was doing a damn good job of it. Her hands rested on his chest, taking care to avoid his injury. The sheer intensity of which he was kissing her made her take one hand away and place it behind her on the bed to keep her balance. Silver was tempted to take it away so she would fall back but he needed to keep his composure. Resisting the urge to turn this kiss into a French one, he pulled away. They were both out of breath and both blushing. Well, Lyra was. Silver was trying his hardest to hide it. He cleared his throat and released her from his grip.

"S-Silver…" Lyra murmured. "I had no idea you felt that way…"

"Hmph, don't flatter yourself,"

"But…You just told me you did…"

"….Shut up,"

Getting up, Silver made a swift exit with his hand covering the bottom half of his face so she couldn't see how red he'd become. Lyra sat there for a moment, her fingers ghosting over her lips. Things were going to be different from now on.

Later that day, Lyra went out to train for a while. Partly because she needed to get out of the house and partly because it had been sort of awkward with Silver since they kissed. She could barely concentrate since that was all that was on her mind. She had been training an Eevee that she had been given by a man called Bill. Unfortunately, it didn't have an interest in fighting and spent more time rolling about in the grass trying to swat anything that moved. Eventually, she gave up and sat next to the gambolling Eevee, watching it enjoy the outdoors. This was why she became a trainer. To see the pokemon she raised be this healthy and happy. It made her feel like she'd accomplished something to grant them happiness. She scratched the Eevee behind the ears, making it purr happily.

"What do you wanna evolve into, hm?" She asked the mewling Eevee.

It just leapt into her lap and curled up, drifting off to sleep. Lyra giggled and stroked its fur for a bit.

"Uhm…L-Lyra?"

She looked up to see Ethan, smiling at her nervously.

"L-Lyra…Could you…Could you train me?"

END OF CHAPTER 3


	4. Chapter 4

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 4

"Huh?" Lyra blinked.

"I-I was thinking about how easily I got taken out in Cherrygrove and you're the best trainer I know," Ethan explained. "So I thought that y-you could maybe help me get stronger,"

Lyra wasn't quite sure what to say. Nobody had ever asked her to train them before. However, it might be nice to help him out.

"Sure, I'll do what I can," She smiled.

"Alright!" Ethan cheered. "You're awesome, Lyra!"

She giggled and stood up, picking up Eevee into her arms.

"Ok, we'll start now since you seem to have recovered," Lyra nodded.

"O-Okay Uh, so will I just use Marill?"

"Yup, that'll be fine. I'll just use Eevee since it's already out,"

"Right. Go Marill!" Ethan cried meekly as he released the fully recovered Marill from its pokeball.

"Alright. We'll battle it out and then I'll be able to see what needs improving from your technique," Lyra smiled. "Let's get going,"

Ethan had never seen this serious side to her before. He thought it was pretty cute.

"Right Marill, rollout!" Ethan commanded.

"Eevee, sand attack!"

The Eevee kicked up a cloud of sand, getting in Marills eyes which made it miss in its attack.

"Aw man! Uhh Ok, Bubblebeam!"

Marill released a stream of bubbles from its mouth which even Eevee couldn't avoid. It squeaked in pain but managed to withstand the brunt of the attack.

"Good Eevee, hang in there! Now tackle!"

The Eevee mewled in response and rammed itself into Marill, causing the water pokemon to fall backwards.

"Now quick attack, Eevee!"

The Eevee leapt forward one last time, knocking Marill back even further. It was too worn out to get up.

"It's over," Lyra declared as she picked the Eevee up into her arms again.

Ethan sighed in frustration before returning Marill to its pokeball.

"Argh, what am I doing wrong?" He whined.

Lyra smiled in sympathy as she walked over, setting Eevee down as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You just need to calm down when you're in battle. Take the time to analyze your opponent, don't just rush into things. You're a good trainer, Ethan, but you get aggravated too easily. Just try to keep calm,"

Ethan nodded, taking a deep breath.

"R-Right, I'll try that next time "

"Good, now lets get Marill healed up at the lab then try again,"

After a few hours, and many, MANY more battles, a triumphant yell could be heard.

"I did it! Ha, Lyra look! I did it!" Ethan smiled widely as an unconscious Rattata lay at his feet. "I won! I won!"

Lyra, who was watching close by, smiled in approval.

"See? I told you that you could do it!" She cheered as she went over to him with Eevee still at her heels.

It had refused to go back into its pokeball at this point, it was having too much fun outside.

"Thank you, Lyra. Thank you so much!" Ethan beamed.

"Not at all. It's the least I could do after all the help you'd given me when I first started," She replied with a shake of her head.

The two shared a smile before Eevee decided to cause yet more mischief and started pushing at Lyra's ankles, causing her to lose her balance.

"Uwa!" Lyra yelped in surprise as she toppled backwards.

Ethan grabbed her hand to try and keep her up but he didn't hold on tight enough so he too ended up falling On top of Lyra.

"Ouch Hey Lyra, are you ok-" Ethan cut himself off as he noticed she was underneath him. "Ah! I'm sooooo sorry!"

"I-It's ok. You're not heavy," Lyra managed to grin. "I've had Meganium jump on me before so this is no problem,"

Ethan chuckled slightly then blushed. This moment couldn't be better to tell her how he felt!

"Uh L-Lyra?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you Like me?"

"I've known you since we were kids. Of course I do!"

"Not in that way "

"What do you- Oh,"

"Yeah "

"Well I dunno, I mean I've never thought about it like that,"

Ethan nodded a little and dipped his head down a little closer to hers.

"E-Ethan, what are you doing?"

"Helping you think about it Lyra, I love you,"

Pausing a moment to smile at her gently, he placed his lips onto hers.

Compared to Silvers kiss, this was much softer. Ethan's lips glided over hers so gently it was if a feather was being grazed across her lips. She couldn't deny it, she loved it. Although it was slightly strange to be kissed by 2 guys in one day. She kissed him back just as softly, loving just how innocent Ethan seemed. She felt his lips twitch upwards into a miniscule smile as he felt her respond and brought a hand up to rest on her cheek. Every now and again, he'd press his lips to hers just that little bit harder but never in a demanding way. All she could feel from him right now was love. She was disappointed when he pulled away but she knew that they needed to breath at some point. He looked down at her, his face flushed a bright pink.

"I-I don't expect you to give me an answer right away, but try to not make me wait, 'kay?" He asked as he shifted himself off of her, allowing her to move.

She sat up, looking at him as if she was still a little bit in shock. Leaning forward a little, she gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Don't worry, I won't. I just need to think about this," She told him.

"Oh yeah, of course. I just sort of Couldn't help myself there," Ethan replied as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Lyra blushed then stood up.

"It's getting late so I'm gonna head home. I think you should do the same before it gets too dark," She told him as she headed for home.

She was tempted to look back and see if he was staring but she needed to keep her composure. Tonight she had a LOT of thinking to do. Silver or Ethan? Rival or friend? She made sure Eevee was behind her before she entered her house, making sure to avoid all eye contact with Silver as she made her way up to her room. He hadn't seen what had happened with her and Ethan but he knew something was going on and he didn't like it. Having only just learned to love, he didn't want to have what he loved most taken away from him so quickly. Ethan, on the other hand, was terrified that if she said no to him then she'd no longer be his friend either. Lyra was too precious for him to lose. Oh yes, the 3 of them were in a very difficult situation.

END OF CHAPTER 4


	5. Chapter 5

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 5

Lyra awoke the next morning to the sound of shuffling coming from somewhere in her room. Irritable and sleepy, she sat up in bed and opened her eyes to see what the noise was being caused by. Silver. Going through the drawers at her computer desk. Gasping, she grabbed her quilt and brought it up to her chest.

"Silver! What in the HELL are you doing?"

The red haired male froze upon being caught, looking at her over his shoulder.

"…."

"WELL?"

"… Someone's not a morning person…"

"Ohhh…Don't you screw with me or I swear I will get Meganium to SIT on you!"

"Relax, Little Miss Sunshine… I was just looking for something,"

"Looking for WHAT?"

"…." Silver sighed, walking over and sitting on the edge of her bed. "Anything to prove that you liked Ethan,"

Lyra looked at him, then looked away when he looked back at her. She couldn't hold his gaze.

"If I told you the truth then you would hate me, Silver… "

"Not possible. I couldn't hate you. No matter how…Irritating you are and how infuriatingly strong you are,"

Lyra took a deep breath.

"I… I like you both…A-And Ethan kissed me yesterday too…"

Silvers eyes flashed with rage.

"He WHAT? That little… I'll teach him to-"

"Silver, stop,"

"Eh?"

"I'll deal with this myself. I need to make up my mind… "

Silver looked at her, unable to think of what to say. He just nodded and smoothed down some of her ruffled hair with his hand. Kissing her chastely on the forehead, he gave her one last look before standing up and heading for the door.

"S-Silver!"

"Hm?"

"… Thank you,"

He nodded once more and then left, not daring to look back in case she saw the fleeting look of pain flashing through his stony eyes.

Lyra dragged herself out of bed, continuing about her morning in the usual fashion; Get a shower, get changed, brush teeth, brush hair, then tend to her rumbling stomach. She shuffled downstairs to find Silver still in her home eating breakfast at the table with her mom sitting opposite him with some food of her own.

"Ah! Lyra! Honey, I'm glad you finally decided to eat something!" Lyra's mother beamed as her daughter went over to the kitchen and began making herself some toast.

Lyra just nodded and went about her business. She could feel Silver staring holes into the back of her head. She sat down next to him with her toast and began munching on it daintily, concentrating abnormally hard on the table in front of her so she didn't have to meet Silver's expecting gaze. She heard him sigh a little then stand, bowing to her mother.

"I appreciate your hospitality, but I really am fine now so I'll be going," He muttered.

"Oh, well it was a pleasure having you here Silver," Lyra's mother replied. "Please come and visit again soon,"

"I'll try and find the time," Silver replied courteously

Just as he turned to leave, an urgent news bulletin appeared on the living room TV, which made both him and Lyra spin around to look at it.

"…The culprits are now at large and it is believed they are the same people that were the cause of the hostage situation a couple of days ago in Cherrygrove City. It is unclear what they are looking for or where they are at the moment but we urge anyone with information to contact the police immediately," The news reporter said before she handed it over to the weather forecaster.

Before the 2 teens could even exchange glances, there was a rather sizeable bang coming from outside. Both shot out the door and saw exactly what they were expecting: Team Rocket were back. That same thug that had taken Lyra down before was there, as if waiting for them.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is! Somehow I knew we'd find you here, Little Miss Champion!" He smirked.

"Get…Out…." Lyra hissed, her eyes narrowing.

"Ooh, I like your spark," He teased as he took a step forward.

Just as he did, Silver took a step to the side, standing in front of Lyra protectively.

"Back off, dirt-bag…" Silver hissed.

Just as Lyra was about to object, rapid footsteps could be heard drawing nearer.

"Lyra!" Ethan's voice could be heard calling as he ran to her side. "You're ok, right? He hasn't attacked you, has he?"

"Calm down, newbie… " Silver muttered. "They're not gonna get anywhere near her while I'm here… "

Ethan, not wanting to be outdone, stood in front of Lyra too, puffing out his chest proudly.

"Well, I'll make sure they don't," He replied sharply.

"Listen, newbie. If I want your help, then I'll ask for it," Silver snapped, causing Ethan to glare at him.

"Well, I don't think you have much of a say in this. It's Lyra we're trying to protect!"

"Oh yeah?

"Yeah!"

The two were so busy bickering and showcasing their male pride that they didn't notice Lyra walk right past them and look the thug in the eye. The lab's door had been broken down, but none of the grunts had moved in yet. They were waiting for the all-clear from this guy.

"If I win, you leave,"

"Deal. If you lose, we get those legendary pokemon we've been looking for from you,"

"… Deal,"

"Ladies first… "

Lyra smirked. She had the advantage now that she'd seen a bit of his team.

"Go, Dragonair!" She cried as she released the beautifully elegant Dragonair from its pokeball.

"Go, Houndour!"

"Dragonair, hyper beam!"

"Wha-"

The Dragonairs attack wiped out Houndour without a second thought, leaving the thug dumbstruck.

"Alright… Alright, ok. Go Golbat!"

The time he'd taken to choose another pokemon let Dragonair regain it's energy.

"Dragonair, thunder fang!"

The Dragonair slid forwards elegantly, clamping it's jaws around the Golbats left wing and electrocuting it. Needless to say, it was knocked unconscious easily.

"… Unless you want me to do that to every single pokemon you have, you'll clear out of here now and I MEAN NOW!" Lyra hissed

The thug didn't need to be told twice. Ushering his men out of the way, he took off, leaving Lyra standing there victorious. She snorted and turned back to Ethan and Silver, who both seemed equally shocked.

"… What?" She asked as she returned Dragonair to it's pokeball. "You've both seen what I can do before,"

She walked past them both, heading back inside to finish her breakfast as if nothing had happened. It was safe to say that neither Silver nor Ethan had been more attracted to her until then. The heat was definitely on.


	6. Chapter 6a

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 6a

[SILVERS ENDING PART 1]

Silver turned and looked at Ethan, his eyes burning with the fire of competition.

"Listen, I am the only guy that she needs…"

"Yeah, whatever. You wouldn't even TALK to her until she beat some sense into you!"

"Watch your mouth, newbie…"

"Just face it! You don't love her, you're just getting used to caring about someone and you THINK it's love,"

The look of sheer pity in the boys eyes made Silver pause. Was he right? Did he really love Lyra or did he just think he did?

"I…Well…"

"If you really do love her, then you can be with her," Ethan smiled sadly. "I don't wanna come between you two if she feels the same. Just think about it. Hard. I care about her too, I don't want her to get tossed around by someone who's not seriously crazy about her,"

Silver nodded, not saying anything. The kid wasn't bad, he was just looking out for Lyra.

"You need to find out who she loves more," Ethan added at the end before heading back to his house. "I can tell by the way she looks at you that she's absolutely head over heels! Just treat her right, kay?"

He left Silver standing there with so many thoughts racing through his adolescent mind. He needed to confess SOMETHING to Lyra, he just didn't know how to go about it.

Lyra was too busy doing the dishes to notice when Silver walked in, his eyes glued on her as he moved aimlessly about the room. Now and again he would open his mouth but no words would come out. He just didn't know how to start it. Lyra's mother watched him with curiosity, knowing full well the situation that he was in. Lovesickness was something she could spot from miles away. Soundlessly, she got up and put a hand on the boys shoulder.

"I'm going to see Professor Elm for a bit. Do it while I'm gone. It'll be easier," She smiled softly as she exited the house, leaving Lyra and Silver on their own.

Silver had never been nervous about anything. Ever. He would always be cocky and confident in everything that he did so being so hesitant about something was confusing him. Lyra dried her hands as she finished the dishes and began stacking them in the cupboards beside the sink. Seeing an opportunity, Silver went to help.

"Here, let me. I'm taller," He told her as he took a plate from her hands.

His hand brushed across hers. He tried to act impassive but his heart was beating so fast he feared that it would tire itself out. Lyra didn't seem to notice. She just nodded, looking a little bemused.

"Alright…Thanks," She replied as she began putting away some of the cutlery. "What's up? It's not like you to help me,"

Silver snorted.

"Am I really that egotistical?"

"Do you SERIOUSLY want me to answer that question, Silver?"

"…Not really,"

Lyra grinned a little as they finished putting everything away. A silence then ensued when they had nothing left to talk about. It wasn't an awkward silence. Silver cleared his throat as he sat down at the table, folding his arms across his chest.

"So…This Ethan kid…"

"What about him?"

"…He isn't as stupid as I first thought, is he?"

"Depends how stupid you thought he was,"

"I was thinking Snorlax stupid,"

"Hey, don't diss the Snorlax! That thing might be lazy but it's a real pain to beat,"

"Granted, but that doesn't mean it's smart,"

"Doesn't mean it's stupid either,"

"Point taken…Ok, I was thinking along the lines of Rocket Grunt stupid,"

"Silver…NOBODY is quite that stupid,"

The two shared a smirk and a chuckle before she sat down opposite him.

"Well, Ethan isn't really stupid at all…He's just a little naïve,"

Silver nodded.

"I noticed…I respect him…BUT that doesn't mean I like him,"

"You don't like a lot of people so I can't say I'm surprised,"

"Watch yourself, Lyra…"

"Hey, it's true!"

Silver huffed and rolled his eyes. Lyra just giggled. Silver glanced at her and felt his resolve weakening. By now, he'd grown accustomed to her smile and her laugh. She was the first person to smile at him in a long, long time. She was the first person to ever reach out to him at all. He continuously pushed her away and kept her at arms length but she still kept coming back. She soon earned his respect and now had earned his heart as well as Ethan's. Lyra was no longer his rival, she was his first love. It was hard to admit it to HIMSELF so he couldn't imagine how hard it was going to be to admit it to her. Sure, he'd told her he'd loved her before he kissed her but it was a spur of the moment thing back then. This time it was serious. He needed to do it now.

Lyra hummed to herself as she released Eevee and began scratching it affectionately behind the ears. She needed something to amuse herself since Silver had reverted back to his more than quiet self. Eevee had grown quite a lot over the past few days and Lyra was sure by the way it acted that it was close to evolution. Smiling gently at the young pokemon, she continued to rub its ears and let it curl up in her lap while it purred loudly. She heard a rustling as Silver stood up, looking determined. Looking up at him and tilting her head to the side, she was more than a little confused. He walked around the side of the table and kneeled beside her.

"Silver…What are you doing?"

He dipped his head a little and took a deep breath as he collected himself before looking back up. His ruby eyes bore into hers with such purposeful determination that she felt weak at the knees.

"Lyra…You're annoying, hyperactive, jumpy and you pop up everywhere I go. You always manage to beat me no matter how hard I try and whenever I push you away, you just come back,"

Lyra frowned.

"This better have a point, Silver…"

The red haired male nodded.

"However…Even through all of those things, you've still managed to earn my attention and respect…No matter how hard I tried to keep you out of my mind, you were always there…Your overbearing kindness eventually broke me down and now I'm in this position…I never thought this was how it would be but it is. I don't know how you did it but you managed to work your way through my defences and beat them all down as easily as you beat me in battle,"

"Silver…What are you trying to say…?"

He took one of her hands and clasped it in both of his own. It felt strange. It felt warm. It made him feel complete. He wondered if this was what love felt like. He assumed so because the way his heart was fluttering erratically now made him fear he was going to pass out.

"What I'm trying to say is…is…" He cursed himself for his hesitance. "Lyra…I love you…"

END OF CHAPTER 6A

LOOK OUT FOR CHAPTER 6B SOON! x3


	7. Chapter 6b

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 6b

[ETHANS ENDING PART 1]

Ethan glanced at Silver out of the corner of his eye as the two of them watched Lyra walk away and felt himself grow extremely protective of her at that moment in time.

"So you like her too, huh?"

Silver spun around to look at him, seeming surprised that Ethan had even spoken to him.

"I guess you could say that…What do you mean 'like her too'…You have a crush on her or what?"

"It's not a crush. I love her,"

Silver snorted and rolled his eyes.

"What?"

"Kid, you're not mature enough to know about love,"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that even if Lyra did happen to love you instead of me, your lack of maturity would drive her away. You wouldn't take it seriously,"

"Well…Well…"

"Relax, kid. I'm just teasing you…Look, I know I'm not right for her…I won't be around enough and I'm not boyfriend material. Now go get her before I change my mind…"

Staring at him in confusion, Ethan watched Silver walk away with his hands in his pockets. He looked like he'd accepted defeat rather gracefully for someone who was such a hothead.

"H-Hey wait! How'd you know that-"

"Just trust me, kid! If she didn't like you she wouldn't told you by now!"

Ethan bit his lip as he pondered that to himself before nodding.

"Right. I gotta do this!" He told himself before turning around and heading towards Lyra's house, his heart thundering in his chest so hard he thought it'd burst right through his ribcage. Just as he reached out to knock on the door, Lyra's mother opened it and blinked in surprise to see him there.

"Ethan, what a lovely surprise!" She smiled. "What's the matter?"

"I-I need to…Um…Talk to Lyra," He murmured, shuffling his feet.

The middle-aged woman smiled and nodded.

"She's in her room. I need to go out for a bit. You guys better behave while I'm gone," She winked.

Ethan blushed madly, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

"Ah! N-No…I mean…I wouldn't dream of-"

"Ahahaha! Don't worry, Ethan. I was only teasing you," Lyra's mother chuckled. "Just be sure not to leave anything out. Tell her exactly how you feel,"

Ethan nodded as she moved past him, leaving the door open for him. He stepped inside the familiar household and shut the door quietly. He never thought he'd ever get this far.

As Ethan made his way up the stairs, Lyra sat in her room slouched over her keyboard at her computer. People had been sending her email after email asking her if she was really ok after the Cherrygrove incident. She had grown tired of everyone only caring about her for her fame and power. Now that Silver had gone, who knows when she would see him again? Ethan was probably going to go off on his own journey too now that he was nearly ready to do so. Then what would she have left? Travelling had lost its appeal to her. It isn't as much of an adventure when you haven't got anybody to share it with. Sure, pokemon were great companions but the lack of human contact made her think she was going to go crazy sometimes. Her mother would always ask if she was lonely but it wasn't the sort of loneliness a mother could fill. It was a different sort of companionship that she needed but she just couldn't figure out WHAT. Her mind wandered back to when Ethan kissed her and how warm she felt. If she could feel that way all the time then that loneliness that was eating away at her would definitely disappear. Silvers kiss was heated but that was all there was to it. That sort of fire would diminish over time. She groaned as she confused herself with all of these different thoughts until she heard a knock at her door. Sighing, she sat up and smoothed down her hair.

"Come in," She called, expecting her mother.

She was surprised to find a rather flushed Ethan stepping into her room instead with a nervous smile plastered onto his face.

"Y-Your mom let me in…" He explained. "I wanted t-to talk to you…"

"Of course…Please, have a seat," Lyra gestured to her bed.

Ethan sat down on the mattress, clearing his throat.

"Lyra…Y-You remember back in Goldenrod right? When I bought you the Fashion Case…And just before that when my grandparents mistook you for my girlfriend,"

Lyra nodded and smiled.

"I vividly recall you turning the colour of a tomato," She giggled. "And the Fashion Case was a very sweet gift. I was surprised you remembered,"

"Heh, I always remember things you say. It's become somewhat of a habit," Ethan replied before sighing. "Look, Lyra. I can't keep waiting on the sidelines,"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that…Ok, I'll just say it. I've been totally crazy about you since we were young. The way you manage to take care of everybody and make me smile, it mystifies me. I love the fact that you aren't just kind for the sake of being kind: it's who you are. I love that person. I can't imagine growing up with anyone better. Sure, you might be stubborn at times but your smile makes everything totally worth it,"

Lyra blushed, looking away a little.

"S-So…What are you saying?"

She heard him get up off her bed and approach her. His right hand tilted her chin up as he placed his lips onto hers. There was that warm feeling again. Even a kiss as short as the one he'd just given her -which was little more than a peck - made her feel giddy.

"I'm saying I don't want you to go off with somebody else…I want you to be with me,"

"B-Be with you? As in, travel with you?"

The boy chuckled, brushing a hand through her hair.

"No, you silly girl. I mean I want you to be with me. I want you to realise just how long I've been pining for you,"

She finally understood.

"B-But we're such close friends! The only reason I hadn't replied to you yet because I was scared…If things didn't work and I lost you-"

"You will NEVER lose me…" Ethan cut in, his eyes glinting with determination. "All you need to know is that I love you. I always have and I always will,"

Lyra looked at this new Ethan in shock. She'd never seen him so strong or sure of himself.

"You…You really do love me? It wasn't a spur of the moment thing?"

"Even if it was, every word is true. Why do you think I couldn't stand to see Silver defending you? I wanted it to be me. I want to be the one to defend you from harm and to comfort you when you're unhappy," He pleaded, reverting back to his original self for a few moments before collecting himself. "I…I love you too much to see that happen. Please, just give me a chance…"

He grasped her hands tightly in his own, his eyes staring straight into hers as she tried to gather herself together to give him a coherent answer.

"I…"

END OF CHAPTER 6B

CHAPTER 7A SHALL BE OUT SOOOOON! 8D


	8. Chapter 7a

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 7a

[SILVERS ENDING PART 2]

Lyra wasn't quite sure what to say. She'd always assumed Silver thought she was a nuisance, just somebody who wouldn't leave him alone. Now here he was kneeling beside her confessing his love for her. It was a lot to take in. So much so that she hadn't replied for about 2 minutes now and Silver was getting antsy.

"A response would be great right about now…" He muttered and followed with a forced grin.

Lyra chuckled nervously, blushing at how stupid she must've seemed when she just sat there saying nothing.

"Sorry about that. It was just a shock is all," She replied quietly, looking down a little.

She blushed a little more when she saw how his hands were clasped around hers. She never knew that Silver had this side to him or, even more strangely, that she caused it.

"You didn't expect someone like me to be like this, did you…? C'mon, Lyra, don't lie to me,"

"Ok, ok maybe I didn't but I'm really happy that you said all those things you said. Why do you think I'd follow you around so much? Why do you think I kept coming back every time you shoved me away?"

Silver swore he felt his heart skip various beats but his face didn't show it. He was still impassive on the surface.

"So…Are you accepting my confession?"

Lyra smiled gently, placing her free hand on top of his 2 hands.

"Yeah…Yeah. I am,"

"Thank God…"

"Silver, what-mmmph!"

She was cut off as Silver swiftly raised one hand, placed it on the back of her neck and pulled her face to his in another one of his fiery kisses. This was something Lyra had never get tired of; the passion, the way it made all of her senses seem so much more sensitive, even the way that the usually callous Silver handled her so gently. However, this kiss was different than the first one. There was a sense of happiness, or even relief. His other hand gently let go of her own, brushing her bangs away from her face as they both indulged in their second kiss. Silver now felt strangely complete now that he knew she accepted his feelings. Having a less than ideal past with Giovanni being his father, he hadn't had much to look forward to in his life. Now that Lyra was here, all that was going to change. With these thoughts in mind, he pulled her close, nearly crushing her against his chest as their fiery embrace continued. Sadly though, the need for air was once again deciding to tear them apart. The two slowly pulled away, breathing deeply as they still held onto one another.

"Silver…"

"Hm?"

The brown haired girl smiled.

"I love you too,"

Things had changed a lot now that things had settled with Silver and Lyra. They still battled one another but all of Silvers animosity was gone. He now knew where he stood and accepted that. He hovered between Lyra's home and Professor Elm's lab and soon became just like a member of the small towns rather close-knit family. His demeanour slowly began to change, day by day, week by week. Now that he'd found his place here, he began to be more humble in defeat and his normally strong defences against anybody who got close to him began to waver slightly. Lyra had cracked him and he knew it. Ethan was, of course, devastated at first. but like any good friend he supported Lyra and gave both Silver and herself his blessing. Meganium and Typlosion didn't always get along but they agreed to disagree for the sake of their starry-eyed trainers. Silver now resided in the spare room in Lyra's home considering it wasn't being put to much use. It was weird to be technically living with someone he hadn't even been with for even half a year but it was better than continuously crashing at pokemon centres. Being shacked up with a league champion meant he became something of a celebrity himself but people were quick to see his own potential and became famous in his own right after that. Things had been going better for him than they had been since the day he was born and he had that one insanely annoying girl to thank. However, although he'd never admit it, he wouldn't have it any other way. Now this would be a nice place for a happy ending, right? Well, we're not quite finished.

Lyra sat outside her house one night, watching her Eevee frolic about in the long grass. It was just phasing into autumn now and the nights were getting cooler. It was calming to sit outside when it was so quiet out. She heard a door opening and soft footsteps padding up behind her.

"Mind if I join you?"

She smiled as she heard Silvers voice gently cut through her thoughts.

"Sure thing, have a seat!"

Silver chuckled and sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"So, what did Lance have to say for himself?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh, he wanted a rematch,"

"And?"

"I can safely say I have now beaten the League Champion twice,"

"Correction; FORMER League Champion,"

"…Oh yeah,"

The two shared a laugh as Eevee bounded over, looking rather pleased with itself and very excited. Lyra tilted her head and looked at the pokemon curiously.

"What is it, Eevee? Did ya find something?"

The Eevee rapidly shook its head as it began to glow. Silver raised his eyebrows and Lyra gasped as its shape began to change rapidly. It's legs became longer, its torso more streamlined. The tuft of fur that once adorned its chest disappeared into a svelte black fur coat as golden rings began to dapple it. It eyes changed into a ruby shade of red as the light finally died down and a very collected Umbreon stood where the Eevee once was. Lyra was ecstatic.

"You're…You're beautiful!" She cried, picking up her newly evolved pokemon and hugging it tightly.

Even Silver had to admit, the Umbreon was a very impressive looking creature.

"Ah, Silver! Isn't this just perfect!"

The boy looked down at the girl cradling her pokemon with a wide smile on her face. That smile single-handedly brought him to his knees. He felt his resolves crumbling for the millionth time as he looked down at the girl who had changed his life. Things couldn't be better.

"Yeah…It really is perfect…"

END OF CHAPTER 7A!

END OF SILVERS ENDING x3


	9. Chapter 7b

A Rival or A Friend.

Lyra x Silver or Ethan xD

Chapter 7b

[ETHANS ENDING PART 2]

"I…"

Ethan waited on Lyras answer patiently. He knew that his declaration was a lot to take in and she needed time to process it all.

"You know, Lyra, you don't have to force yourself to say yes to this…I don't want you doing anything you don't wanna do," He piped up quietly, looking away a little.

He felt a sharp pain as Lyra cuffed him around the head.

"H-Hey! What was that for?"

He frowned then blushed as the girl sitting in front of him stood up and looked him dead in the eye.

"If I didn't like you, would I have let you kiss me twice?" Lyra said with a raised eyebrow.

She was now merely a few inches away from him, her deep brown eyes looking at him expectantly.

"I…Uh…Well…" Ethan stammered, blushing furiously.

"Ethan…" Lyras expression softened. "You idiot, I love you too,"

The sentence had barely left her lips when he pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Lyra giggled slightly as she let Ethan hold her in what could only be described as a very careful bear hug. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck as his bangs tickled the side of her cheek slightly.

"Lyra…"

"Hm?"

"W-Would it be ok if I kissed you?"

"So you kiss me twice already without permission, not knowing if I liked you back and you ask for permission NOW?"

"…Good point,"

He felt Lyra laugh against him as he dipped his head to kiss her again.

There it was; that steadily burning ember. Ethan's kisses weren't too wild or too hesitant. For someone who'd had next to no experience when it came to kissing, he did a very good job. His grip on her loosened slightly as he tilted his head to the side every so slightly. He resisted the urge to smile when Lyra tilted her head in the opposite direction. The two were so engrossed in each other, they didn't hear the front door opening and closing again. Things were just about to get that little bit more passionate when…

"I'm hooooome!" Lyra's mother yelled as she burst into her daughters room.

The two teens broke apart as if an electric current ran right through them, much to the amusement of the woman who'd just walked in on them.

"I knew you had it in you, Ethan!" She grinned.

The boy flushed bright red and groaned as he pulled his hood up over his face. Lyra would've done the same if her shirt had a hood on it so she settled for just scowling at her mother who looked very pleased with herself.

"You two are just adorable together! Well, I gotta go make dinner. I won't disturb you again, I promise!"

And with that, she left, leaving the two teens alone again. They gradually looked back at each other before bursting into a fit of giggling a few seconds after.

"That could only happen to us," Ethan chuckled.

"I know right! God, that was humiliating," Lyra replied.

The two smirked at each other before pressing their foreheads together while still smiling stupidly.

"I love you, Lyra,"

"I love you too, Ethan,"

Lyra and Ethan were the talk of the town for a good while after that, but both Ethan's father and Lyra's mother had seen it coming since they were young. The two were inseparable. The spent their days together training and often only parted when they were basically about to drop to the ground from lack of sleep. By the time the month had ended, Ethan had become a lot stronger and Lyra had become a bit more patient. Silver, of course, didn't like the idea of losing to Ethan but he took it well. He was still as competitive as ever and now, since he saw Ethan getting stronger, trained even more in case Ethan even turned into another potential rival. Ethan was a protective boyfriend, even though Lyra was more than capable of taking care of herself. She didn't say that though, it was sort of nice to have someone look after her. All in all, things were going well for the young couple. Things were as close to perfect as they could get.

It was mid-autumn and the midday sun was hovering lazily in the sky as it watched Lyra and her Eevee playing in the long grass just outside the town. Lyra lay on her back and shut her eyes, letting the mild sun cover her body like a blanket as she listened to the grass rustle as Eevee bounced through it. She soon heard another, heavier set of footsteps coming up beside her and felt someone sit down next to her.

"Nice day, isn't it?" She heard Ethans voice chirp up happily.

Lyra opened her eyes to see her boyfriend looking down at her, his usual grin plastered across his face. She sat up and gave him a hug which he happily returned as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, it's beautiful," Lyra replied with a nod. "I'm making the most of it before the snow gets here,"

"Understandable, it'd be pretty cold if you lay here in the snow…But snowball fights are always fun!"

"Oh, grow up, Ethan!"

"Awww, why! You know you'd love a snowball fight just as much as me,"

"Yeah yeah!"

The two shared a laugh as Ethan pulled Lyra into another hug before releasing her with his arm still wrapped around her waist.

"I'll be leaving to start my own journey soon," Ethan said quietly.

Lyra opened her mouth to reply but as she was about to speak, Eevee jumped into her arms, looking over-excited, The fluffy pokemon began to glow and change slowly. Its legs became longer and more slender, its ears changed into a more smooth shape. The tuft of fur on its chest phased into a sleek purple coat as its tail forked into 2 at the tip. Soon, a beautiful Espeon was nestled in Lyra's arms, mewling happily. Lyra hugged the pokemon close to her, beaming with pride.

"You're absolutely gorgeous!" She giggled.

Ethan looked down at the newly evolved cat pokemon with a smile. Lyra's approach to raising pokemon always reaped amazing rewards. This was one of them. That Espeon was rare. He got so lost in his musings about his girlfriends talents as a pokemon trainer or even a breeder, she poked him on the forehead.

"Ethan, did you hear me?"

"Uh…?"

The girl smiled. kissing him gently before focusing her liquid brown eyes on his.

"I said I'm coming with you,"

END OF CHAPTER 7B

END OF ETHANS ENDING!


End file.
